RRB Increases ALP Vacancies to 14,627
New Delhi, November 12: The Railway Recruitment Board (RRB) has announced an increase in vacancies for the Assistant Loco Pilot (ALP) recruitment for 2026. The previously notified 11,127 vacancies have now been raised to 14,627, adding 3,500 additional positions. The board issued a revision letter on November 10, detailing the updated vacancies. This increase is based on the demand for additional vacancies received from various regional railways. All other rules and conditions will remain as before.
Zone-wise Vacancies
In total, there are 2,351 positions related to Bihar, including 153 in Patna, 342 in Muzaffarpur, and 1,856 in Ranchi.
| Recruitment Board | Zone | Unreserved | SC | ST | OBC | EWS | Total Posts | Ex-Servicemen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ahmedabad | Western Railway | 210 | 78 | 39 | 139 | 51 | 517 | 51 |
| Ajmer | Northern Western Railway | 262 | 97 | 59 | 142 | 40 | 600 | 60 |
| Prayagraj | North Central Railway | 284 | 37 | 27 | 65 | 44 | 457 | 45 |
| Bengaluru | South Western Railway | 80 | 31 | 15 | 54 | 20 | 200 | 20 |
| Chandigarh | Northern Railway | 56 | 39 | 23 | 49 | 20 | 187 | 19 |
| Kolkata | Eastern Railway | 282 | 107 | 61 | 186 | 68 | 704 | 70 |
| Muzaffarpur | Eastern Central Railway | 91 | 82 | 66 | 69 | 34 | 342 | 34 |
| Patna | Eastern Central Railway | 62 | 23 | 12 | 41 | 15 | 153 | 15 |
| Ranchi | Eastern Central Railway | 287 | 105 | 52 | 190 | 71 | 705 | 71 |
Other Major Changes in Recruitment
Three significant changes have been made in the ALP recruitment process:
- Change in Final Merit List Weightage: The RRB has made historical changes in the selection process and formula for preparing the final merit list. Now, equal weightage will be given to both CBT-2 (Part-A) and CBAT (Computer Based Aptitude Test) scores. Previously, CBT-2 had a weightage of 70%, while the aptitude test had only 30%.
- Changes in Medical Certificate Process for CBAT: Candidates shortlisted in 2025 were required to present a ‘Vision Certificate’ during CBAT. For 2026, a self-screening medical declaration will be mandatory at the online application stage, generating a medical report to be submitted on the day of CBAT.
- Change in Tie-breaking Rules: In 2025, if two candidates had the same score, the older candidate was placed higher in the merit list. For 2026, if both candidates are of the same age, their names will be sorted alphabetically to determine merit.
Overall, the total vacancies now stand at 14,627, with 6,032 unreserved, 2,309 SC, 1,259 ST, 3,662 OBC, and 1,365 EWS positions, including a total of 1,461 ex-servicemen posts.